More on the Chesterton Conference: The Jolly Journalist

I've been to a lot of conferences in my life, but never one that featured as much unadulterated, good, clean fun. There is something about studying the "jolly journalist" that brings out the laughter. Every time Dale Ahlquist got up to introduce a talk he had us in stitches. And each of the speakers, no matter what his (or her for those who don't believe in the generic grammatical use of the male pronoun for both men and women) subject, had humor in his talk. And all that without one off-color joke, one use of the name of God as an expletive, one joke that was a mean-spirited put down of others (although there was plenty of lovable teasing with the teasees entering into the joke).

My husband and I had so much fun we are already talking about going to the conference in St. Louis next year. What an adventure! The Saturday banquet was a happy culmination of all that went before. It was a delightful break and when you're involved in fighting serious evil, an annual retreat and the Chesterton Conference are a great combo for ensuring sanity and perseverance in the faith.

Chesterton showed us that the world is so serious we mustn't take it too seriously. In other words, the devil is most effective when he suppresses joy because joy is so inextricably linked to hope. So a James O'Keefe is Chestertonian when he punctures the gasbag of political correctness and exposes the mainstream media (TV, radio, and print) as the three stooges. Writers are Chestertonian when they show the contradictions and hypocrisy that pass for liberal politics or modern religion, etc.  Teachers are Chestertonian when they reveal the true, the good, and the beautiful in life. And religious are Chestertonian when they raise our hearts and minds to God, which is the most important activity on earth.

The devil doesn't know anything about humour. It's above his pay grade. He can only smirk, leer, and make a sound that's a cross between a snarl and a lewd giggle. Chesterton knew that, which is why he said in a letter that "I am" what's wrong with the world. We're also what's right with the world when we unite our hearts and minds to God and obey those two great commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

My husband and I plan to join the local D.C. chapter of the Society that meets in Sterling. In September they'll be discussing the conference. It brings a smile to my face just to think of it.